After the latter, aided by Antipater, had at length with
great difficulty got himself into a position for asserting his
rights against Aristobulus, the Pharisees could not do otherwise
than rank themselves upon his side, and the masses joined them
against the usurper. With the help of the Nabataean monarch the
effort to restore the elder brother to the supreme authority would
doubtless have succeeded had not the Romans procured relief for
Aristobulus, besieged as he was in Jerusalem (65), though without
thereby recognising his claims. Pompey continued to delay a decision
on the controversy in 64 also when the rival claimants presented
themselves before him at Damascus; he wished first to have the
Nabataeans disposed of, and to have free access to them through
Judaea. This hesitation roused the suspicions of Aristobulus;
still he did not venture to take decisive action upon them. He
closed the passes (to Mount Ephraim) against the Romans, but
afterwards gave them up; he prepared Jerusalem for war, and then
went in person to the Roman camp at Jericho, where he promised
to open the gates of the city and also to pay a sum of money.
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